


March of Time

by khudgens91



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Memory Loss, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-02-06 21:05:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1872420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khudgens91/pseuds/khudgens91
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Helen Magnus wakes up after destroying her old city home with no memory of her life past the injection of the source blood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Nikola ran down the pristine corridors of the new Sanctuary, barreling towards the infirmary. He had to get to her. Not even his vampire enhanced speed carrying him fast enough. Something wasn't right. He could feel it in the air, had sensed it in wolf boy's text.

'She's awake. Meet us in the infirmary.'

So little information. Why hadn't it said she was ok, even asking for him? Nikola could only assume it was because she wasn't. But surely she would want to see him. Especially after the manner in which they'd last parted. She had kissed him, that had to mean something. Didn't it?

As he drew closer to the infirmary he could make out the sounds of people shouting and the clash of things being thrown around the room. Nikola skidded to a halt outside the doors, uncertain what he'd find when he walked in. Entering his code on the keypad to the right of the entrance, the doors slid open soundlessly. He had just enough time to duck out of the way as a bed pan went whizzing by his head.

"I do not know who you people are! How many times do I have to tell you?" Helen shrieked from the far corner of the room.

"Doc, just calm down! We'll get this all sorted out," Kate tried to reason, taking a step towards her.

"No! Get away from me!" Helen yelled, pushing herself further into the corner.

"Please just get back in the bed," Henry pleaded.

Helen shook her head vehemently. She looked absolutely terrified.

"What's going on? What did you two idiots do now?" Nikola demanded, all eyes turning towards him.

"We didn't-" Kate started, but was cut off.

"Nikola! Oh thank god!" Helen cried seconds before launching herself at him.

He had just enough time to catch her, wrapping his arms protectively around her waist. Just as quickly as she'd thrown herself at him, Helen pulled away. Her cheeks were stained red. Was she blushing? Helen positioned herself behind Nikola, using him as a human shield.

"Nikola, who are these people and why are they trying to hold me here against my will?" Helen whispered so only he could hear.

"You don't recognize them?"

"Should I?"

"See what we've been dealing with for the last ten minutes? She doesn't have a clue who we are and she won't get back in the damn bed so we can examine her," Kate explained.

"Wait, you recognize him?" Henry asked, incredulously pointing a finger at Nikola.

"Of course I do," Helen defended. "Nikola is a very dear friend of mine."

"Well maybe your _dear friend_ can get you to lay down again," Kate quipped.

"I don't want to get back in the bed, Nikola," Helen pleaded. "They had a bunch of wires attached to me. I was hooked up to all these strange looking machines. I think they were running some kind of experiments on me."

"We have to monitor your vitals to make sure you're ok," Henry told her seriously.

"Those are medical machines?" Helen asked, skepticism clear in her voice.

"Helen, please let us check you out? We just want to make sure you're alright," Nikola tried to persuade her.

"Are they doctors?" Helen pressed, still unsure.

Henry and Kate looked at each other then over to Nikola.

"Not exactly," Nikola confessed, turning to look at her. "But they know what they're doing."

"I do not like this one bit, Nikola. I would much prefer you to simply take me home and let Father have a look at me."

"Your Father? That's not possible Doc," Henry tried to tell her.

"I do wish you would stop calling me that!" Helen bit back. "I do not know what sort of slang it is, but it is terribly improper. I would much prefer you call me Miss Magnus."

"Helen, you're acting very strange," Nikola said worriedly.

"I am acting strange?" Helen gaped. "You are the ones acting strange! What with your unusual clothing and the way you are talking and your supposed medical machines. I do not know what all this is about, but I do not like it one bit!"

"Just calm down," Nikola tried to sooth her.

He reached his arm out to her, but she shook her head and backed away.

"No, do not touch me! I do not know who you are, but you are not my Nikola!"

"Of course I am, Helen. You're just confused."

"I want to see the others! Where are the others?" The volume of her voice was rising again, her panic returning.

"What others?" Kate asked in the background.

"Nigel and James and John," Helen exclaimed. "Where are they? What have you done with them?"

"Doc, they're all dead," Henry muttered.

"No! No, I don't believe you!" Helen screamed, bolting for the door.

Nikola didn't think twice, didn't even hesitate, he grabbed a syringe full of sedatives from the nearest counter and shot after her. Confused and unsteady on her feet, Helen hadn't made it far. He caught up to her easily, grabbing her around the waist and spinning her to face him. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she tried to fight him off. Her fists pounded against his chest and she struggled to break his hold on her.

"Get off me! Let me go!"

He simply pulled her tighter against him, hugging her to his chest.

"I am so sorry, Helen," he whispered.

Pulling back slightly, Nikola stabbed the needle into her upper arm and depressed the medicine. Helen's eyes widened. He could already feel her relaxing in his arms.

"Niko?" Helen gasped, lips trembling and tears falling from her eyes.

"I am so sorry," Nikola repeated as he lowered them to the floor.

He cradled her in his arms, stroking her hair and rocking her. Helen's eyes drooped shut, her head lolling back has she slipped unconscious. Carefully, he picked her up, carrying her back into the infirmary where Henry and Kate still stood frozen.

"What the hell was that?" Kate blurted.

"I don't know, but we're damn sure going to find out," Nikola replied as he gently laid Helen back onto the infirmary bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The series never really comes out and says when the Five injected themselves with the blood, so I kind of had to guess. Special thanks to Erin for letting me use her timeline as a reference point!

Helen opened her eyes slowly, hoping it was all a dream. She sighed gratefully when all she found was in her bedroom. No harsh lighting or incessant beeping, only the soft glow of a candle and the crackle of a fire. Snuggling deeper under the covers, Helen closed her eyes hoping to drift back to sleep. 

An odd buzzing from her bedside table broke through her sleepy haze. Cautiously, she peaked over the edge of her bed. A small shiny object was dancing across the wooden surface and lighting up sporadically. 

"Bloody hell!" Helen cursed, jumping away from it. 

"Sorry!" Nikola exclaimed, jumping up from the couch by the fire. 

Grabbing the strange little object, he stuffed it in his pocket and gave her a sheepish smile. 

"I was trying to be quiet," he admitted. 

"Where am I?" Helen demanded. 

Now that she really looked, this was most certainly not her bedroom. It was similar, no doubt, but there were subtle differences. It at least felt more familiar than the last place she'd woken up in, lending a small amount of comfort. She suspected that was why she'd been moved here, in the hopes that familiar surroundings would help keep her calm. 

"You are in your home, Helen," Nikola stated calmly. 

"This is not my home," she replied just as evenly. 

"Perhaps not the one you think, but your home none the less."

"What is that supposed to mean? Do not play games with me, Nikola," she snapped.

"Tell me, what's the last thing you remember? Before waking up here."

John had escorted her to her room after they had all injected the serum she'd derived from the ancient vampire blood her father had found. They had all agreed that the boys should stay at the house that night, in case of any adverse reactions. She remembered very clearly, she just wasn't sure whether she should tell him. He seemed like Nikola, but there was something about him that wasn't the same. She didn't want to reveal their experiments to an imposter. 

"You can trust me, Helen," he said, coming to stand closer to her. 

"Can I?" She challenged. 

Nikola sighed, a sad look in his eyes. Hesitantly, he sat at the edge of her bed. She was suddenly very aware of what she was wearing or rather lack there of. The material was silk, but it was nothing more than a scrap that barely covered her modesty. It was horribly scandalous. Nikola seemed to notice her discomfort. 

"Trust me, it was one of the more modest things I could find. I'm not complaining though, I'm quite enjoying the view."

Her hand connected with his cheek, a resounding slap echoing around the room. He looked genuinely shocked for a second, but subsequently burst into laughter. Helen glared at him. She failed to see what was so funny. 

"I apologize, that was inappropriate," he said. 

"Completely," she huffed.

"I forgot that you may not be used to our normal banter."

"I fail to see how that is normal."

"Maybe not for you," he replied. "Which brings me back to my previous question. What is the last thing you remember."

Helen bit her lip, looking away from him. Should she tell him the truth? She wanted to trust him, he was after all the only person she was familiar with in this strange place. They were so close, at least where she came from, it was hard for her to imagine keeping anything from him. 

"Its important that you be honest with me, Helen. I need to know so that we can help you get better."

Was there something wrong with her? She felt perfectly fine. 

"John had just escorted me to my room. He kissed me on the cheek before biding me good night and then I went to bed. When I woke up, I was here."

"What year is it?"

"Eighteen seventy nine."

"Interesting," Nikola mused. "And you have no memories after that? Nothing at all?"

"Only of waking up in a strange place full of strange people."

"Yes, I could see where this would all be terribly confusing for you."

"Oh stop being so cryptic and just tell me what is going on!" 

"Where to start?" Nikola seemed to ask himself. 

She watched him carefully, seeing a thousand emotions playing across his face.

"I guess the simplest way to put it would be to say you seem to have a rather extensive case of amnesia."

"Amnesia?" Helen gaped at him. 

"It would appear so. It must be from the head injury you sustained in the explosion."

"Explosion?" 

"Yes, but you wouldn't remember that either, would you? No, of course not," he was mumbling to himself now.

"Nikola, look at me," Helen said seriously, reaching for his hand. 

He jumped at the touch, looking up into her eyes. The blue-grey orbs she was so familiar with seemed so much deeper, held more pain than she remembered. The man before her was so similar, yet so different to the one she knew. 

"Tell me? Everything?" Helen pleaded. 

"I'm afraid not even I know the whole story. You live a very mysterious life, Dr. Magnus."

Doctor? That was new. She had aspired to be a doctor, had been training under her father, but apparently she'd succeed. A thrill of pride swelled in her. She had done it! Helen wondered what else she'd done in the time she couldn't seem to remember. 

"Start from the beginning?"

"That could take a very long time."


	3. Chapter 3

Helen stared at the image reflected back at her in the mirror, trying to wrap her brain around what Nikola had told her. It didn't seem possible. But she couldn't deny the proof that stood before her. The woman in the mirror didn't look anything like herself. Everything about her was different than who she thought herself to be. Her hair was a dark sultry color, giving her a much harsher more mature look. The curves of her body were fuller too, more accentuated. Obviously this older version of herself stayed in shape, soft natural curves were replaced by more well defined swells.

But regular exercise wasn't the only thing that had changed her body. Faint stretch marks marred the skin below her naval and her breasts had changed in a way only motherhood could accomplish. Nikola had conveniently not mentioned anything regarding a family or her personal life. They had stuck to simpler concepts.

_"Where are we, Nikola?"_

_"We are in your Sanctuary," he told her softly. "You followed in your father's footsteps, carrying on his work and growing it into a global network. Right now we're in your new Sanctuary and, I must say Helen, it's magnificent! You really out did yourself."_

_"A global network? That must have taken years! You said I seem to have lost all memory since before we injected ourselves, just how long ago was that?"_

_"Yes, well, that's where it begins to get a little tricky," Nikola replied uncomfortably._

_"Nikola," Helen said warningly, knowing when he was trying to avoid an answer._

_"It's 2012," he mumbled under his breath._

_"What year did you say it was?" Helen gaped at him._

_"2012," Nikola responded louder this time._

_"But how is that even possible?"_

_"The blood, Helen. It had greater side effects than we could ever have imagined."_

_"Tell me," she breathed, eyes wide in a mixer of wonder and curiosity._

_"Well, it gave each of us special abilities."_

_"We became Abnormals?"_

_"Yes," Nikola nodded._

_"Oh Nikola, that is fantastic!"_

_"It was rather exciting in the beginning," Nikola conceded._

_"What happened? What abilities did we gain?"_

_Her enthusiasm was bubbling over, barely contained._

_"Nigel could go completely invisible, though it was only his physical form which meant he went traipsing about naked for years. He pulled quite a few practical jokes on all of us."_

_Helen laughed at that. It was so typical Nigel, always the joker._

_"James's already brilliant mind was enhanced even more. His observational skills became second to none. He was Scotland Yard's number one detective. He only did consulting though, too preoccupied helping you and your father."_

_"I cannot imagine James anymore intuitive than he already is."_

_"He was absolutely insufferable!" Nikola sighed dramatically, making Helen smile._

_"And the rest of us?" She prompted when he didn't continue._

_"John's ability allowed him to teleport to anywhere in the world in an instant. As for me, The Blood unlocked the sanguine vampiris genes laying dormant in my DNA."_

_"So you are..." Helen began tactfully, not sure how to put it._

_"A vampire?" Nikola supplied._

_Helen nodded, her cheeks flushing a light pink color._

_There was a moment of hesitation on his part, as if he was trying to decide a course of action. Without warning his entire countenance changed. The color drained from his face as his teeth grew to sharp jagged points. Long black talons sprouted from his fingers. Helen jumped, more startled than frightened._

_"Nikola, you are amazing!" Helen gasp._

_With a chuckled he returned back to normal._

_"I never understood why you weren't scared of me."_

_"Should I be?" She challenged._

_"Well not anymore. You created a medication that helps curb my blood lust. I haven't fed off a human in decades. But back then? You most definitely had reason to fear me. I was dangerous. I could have killed you."_

_"But obviously you did not," Helen defended._

_"No, I didn't," Nikola said with a sigh. "But I very easily could have, almost did that first time."_

_"I let you feed on me."_

_It wasn't a question._

_"Yes, but it was foolish and dangerous...and wonderful," Nikola told her, his initially stern voice fading to nothing more than a whisper by the end._

_"I cannot image what it must have felt like."_

_"You never told me," he admitted._

_They were silent for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts. Nikola in his memories and Helen in her imagination._

_"And what about me?" Helen asked timidly._

_"You? You, my darling Helen, are immortal."_

_"Immortal? I do not understand."_

_"You don't age. Well technically you do, but at such a slow pace that it's as if you didn't. You look exactly the same as the day we injected ourselves with that Blood."_

_"That is not possible!"_

_"Isn't it? Look at me, do I look any different?"_

_"Well no..." Helen said slowly. "That is, you do not look terribly different. The hair is not the same and you have shaved off that ghastly mustache."_

_"I thought the mustache made me look rather fetching."_

_"It did not! It looked positively atrocious!"_

_They both laughed, momentarily back to the good friends they used to be._

_"Well even if you haven't aged you still look different too. In a good way though," Nikola added quickly at the end._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"You haven't seen yet, have you? No you wouldn't have. Oh this will be fun!"_

_"Nikola what are you on about?" Helen huffed._

_"Come on and I'll show you," he said, jumping off the bed and offering her his hand._

_She eyed it skeptically for a second before taking it. Pulling back the covers, Helen swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she glanced down at the long expanses of creamy skin the silken night gown didn't cover._

_"Nikola," Helen whispered, dropping his hand._

_"What? What is it?" He asked, turning around to face her._

_His eyes followed her's and a huge grin spread across his face._

_"Don't worry, Helen," he tried to sooth. "I'm not offended."_

_Helen rolled her eyes at him._

_"Clearly modesty does not mean the same thing as it once did," Helen commented dryly, trying to ignore the way Nikola's eyes racked over her exposed skin._

_"Modern fashions have changed quite a bit," he agreed. "Personally, I think it's for the better."_

_"Of course you do," she sighed, taking his hand once more._

_He led her to the bathroom, opening the door and then motioning for her to enter._

_"I will wait for you out here. Give you some privacy."_

_"How thoughtful of you," Helen replied sarcastically before shutting the bathroom door in his grinning face._

A baby. A family. Her as a mother. Helen's thoughts whirled out of control. Who was the father? Where was the child now? Had she had more than one?

She'd never been opposed to the idea of having a family, she simply had been so focused on her career and making a place for herself in a man's world. She was practically an old maid, had just about given up on the idea of marrying and starting a family. But obviously something had changed.

John had begun to show more than just a passing fancy. Perhaps it had developed into more? Or maybe it was another man entirely. There were quite a bit of years she couldn't remember, anything could have happened. But surely whoever it was, whoever she'd settled down with would be here now? Unless he'd died, of course. It was possible considering her extended life span. But the thought alone was rather painful, the idea of having loved someone and then lost them.

"Helen, are you alright in there?" Nikola called through the door.

Then it hit her, maybe he was here. Maybe he was standing on the other side of the door. Helen felt faint. It wasn't completely impossible. In the years she could remember, she and Nikola had shared a fair amount of kisses. Some more heated than other's. She'd always felt an odd attachment to him, a certain draw that she hadn't felt with anyone else previously. Plus, given the fact that they were both now immortals, it made sense.

"Helen?" Nikola called again, an edge of panic creeping into his voice.

Being with Nikola wouldn't be so bad. He was her friend and she really couldn't imagine her life without him. Perhaps not in the capacity that their relationship was now in, but the sentiment was there none the less. If she were being honest with herself, the thought of having Nikola's children was rather exciting. They would have beautiful brilliant children. Not even the thought of what it would take to make said children bothered her overly much, even though it probably should.

"Just a moment," she called out to him.

She'd removed the silk night gown, standing in front of the mirror naked, and she scrambled to pull it back on. Though, now that she thought about it, it wouldn't be necessary considering Nikola would have already seen her naked. That sent a shiver down her spine. But even if they had been together in the years she'd forgotten, Helen wasn't quite ready to tackle those aspects of their changed relationship.

Appropriately covered, at least by this century's new standards, she once again opened the bathroom door. Nikola was waiting anxiously just on the other side. She tried to smile reassuringly at him, but the blush creeping up her cheeks made it difficult.

"Um, Nikola?"

"Yes? What is it? What's the matter?" His brow was creased in concern.

"How long...how long have we been...together?" Helen stuttered, having to drop his gaze. "And when did we have a child?"


	4. Chapter 4

"W-what?" Nikola stuttered, caught off guard.

"I am a doctor, Nikola. I can tell when a woman has had a child."

"Oh, that..."

He shouldn't be so surprised. Even if she wasn't a doctor, she was a woman and she knew her body.

"Yes, that," she said, rolling her eyes. "When were you going to tell me? I would have thought the fact that we are married with a family is a rather important detail."

"Married?"

"We are married, are we not?" Color was beginning to rise in her cheeks. "I just assumed...if we had a child, we would be married. Though I suppose we would not have to be."

She was stammering awkwardly again, her face getting redder and redder with each word. It was the most adorable thing Nikola had seen in a long time. It had been decades since he saw Helen blush. He'd forgotten how much he adored it. He watched mesmerized as the color crept down her neck.

"Nikola?" Helen tried to get his attention. "Nikola!"

Finally he pulled his eyes away from the flush spreading across her chest and back to her eyes.

"Nikola," Helen said in exasperation. "Do we or do we not have a child together? And if not you, then who's is it?"

He couldn't bring himself to tell her. What was he supposed to say?

_Helen, you and John were engaged, but he went mad and started slaughtering a bunch of whores. But not before impregnating you. We found a way to freeze the embryo until you were ready to have it, which was about twenty something years ago. You can't meet your only child though because she died saving your life._

He didn't think she'd handle that very well. Who would?

"No, we are not married," he said very slowly, still struggling with what to say.

"Oh," Helen muttered.

Was that an edge of disappointment in her voice?

"Then who?"

"Ah, well I said we weren't married, but times have changed a great deal over the last century and a half," he back pedaled. "Just because we aren't married doesn't change the fact that I love you with all my heart. We don't need a piece of paper and a ring to spend the rest of our lives together."

She was finally looking at him again, albeit a little timidly. She gave him an uncertain smile and he returned it with a much more confidant grin. He hadn't after all really lied to her, everything he'd said was true.

"And the child...or perhaps children?"

"Um, no...there was just the one," Nikola stuttered.

"Oh please tell me about him, Nikola," Helen exclaimed, her eyes wide and bright in her enthusiasm.

Some people had assumed she'd become an old spinster, never to marry or have children. There had been rumors that she was un-marriable, too much of an oddity in the narrow minded society back then. But Nikola had always seen her having a family, even if it was a little later than was considered acceptable. He hadn't gotten to see her with Ashley, but he had no doubt she'd been spectacular.

"Her actually; Ashley."

"Ashley?" Helen mused wistfully. "What is she like Nikola? Tell me about her, please! When can I see her?"

"She'd be in her mid-twenties now I think, I was never good with dates and the years have sort of begun to blur together. She's not here anymore though, so you won't be able to see her."

"Not here? What do mean? Why would she not be here?" Helen asked, confusion clear on her face.

"Well.." He wasn't really sure what to say next.

"Oh, perhaps she is away at university?" Helen supplied. "Between the two of us she must be very bright."

"The world has changed quite a bit, Helen. Women going to college aren't even given a second glance, it's common, almost expected of all young people nowadays."

He just had to keep hedging. If asked later he could always claim he'd never lied to her. Because technically he hadn't. He couldn't help that she was coming to the wrong conclusions.

"That is wonderful, Nikola!" Helen exclaimed. "May I at least see a picture of her?"

"Of course!"

He rushed over to her bedside table, Helen following quickly behind him. There was a picture of she and Ashley sitting in a simple frame. It was a candid shot, the two of them laughing at some long forgotten joke. It was a reminder of happier times. Times Helen could no longer remember.

"We look so happy," Helen sighed.

"Yes, you do."

"Are there none of the three of us?"

"You know how terribly un-photogenic I am," he teased.

It was at that moment that Helen chose to yawn widely. Nikola seized the opportunity gratefully.

"I think that's enough for one night. You need to rest."

He guided her gently into the bed, surprised when she didn't protest. She must truly be exhausted. He had thrown quite a bit of information at her tonight. It was alot for her to have to take in.

"Are you coming to bed, Nikola?" Helen asked as he turned to leave.

Nikola managed to bite back a groan. Of course they'd share a bed if they were together as she thought they were. He was tempted to give in. He'd already crossed so many lines tonight, what was one more?

"In a minute, I have a few things to finish working on before I call it a night. You go ahead and sleep though."

"Alright," she sighed, already drifting off.

He'd sit guard over her while she slept. At least then he wouldn't feel like he was taking advantage of her. He was just trying to protect her, keep her dark past from hurting her all over again. That's what he was going to tell himself at least. He didn't want to admit the alternative, that he liked the reality she had fabricated too much and was willing to pretend it was true because it felt damn good. Maybe they could have had this if things had been different, if they'd both made different decisions in their youths. One thing he did know for sure, if Helen regained her memory she was going to kill him for letting her believe all these lies. He'd cross that bridge when he got to it though. In the mean time he was simply improvising.


	5. Chapter 5

"You told her WHAT??" Kate exclaimed, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head.

"Dude!" Henry breathed, almost choking on the swig of coffee he'd just taken.

"How could you?" Kate continued. "You lying bastard!"

"Technically I never lied to her. She made those conclusions on her own," Nikola defended.

"And you never corrected her!" Henry accused.

"We have to tell her the truth!" Kate declared.

"I don't think that's a good idea. She's very fragile right now. Too much information too soon could be detrimental to her recovery. Not to mention the effects such traumatic news could produce."

"So what are we supposed to do? Just keep lying to her?" Kate asked skeptically.

"I'm not entirely sure. I don't think the whole truth would be a good idea, perhaps just bits and pieces for now?"

"This is ridiculous." Henry announced. "We need Will for this one."

"I'm with Hank, Will would know what to do."

"Helen left very specific instructions to let him find his own way down here. If he's as smart as she seemed to think he was, he'll get here eventually."

"Eventually isn't going to cut it. We need him here now."

"I think Helen will be fine. There are just some things it would be better for her not to know right now."

"And you get to be the one to decide what those things are?" Kate asked caustically. 

"I think we can all agree on a few of them."

"Such as?" Henry pushed.

"Well she already knows about Ashley. That she existed, not that she's dead."

"I think we should tell her the truth on that one. It's common knowledge, she'll find out eventually," Kate put in. "Just maybe leave out the finer details of how she died."

"I don't think we should tell her about Druitt being the father," Henry added. "Not many people know that anyway."

"So we all agree? She should at least know that Ashley died, but the details of her death and paternity will be kept vague?"

"For now," Kate clarified.

"I'm going to assume you want me to be the one to tell her?"

"You're the only one she recognizes," Henry tried to justify. "It'll be best coming from you."

"But you have to tell her the truth about the two of you, that you aren't actually a couple," Kate added quickly.

"Fine," Nikola sighed. "I'll go break the news to her then."

"Good luck man," Henry offered, clearly glad Nikola was doing it instead of himself.

"Save it, Wolf Boy," Nikola bit back before turning on his heel and stalking out.

He'd left Helen on her own, the children pestering him for information until he was forced to leave, if only to get them to stop blowing up his phone with calls and text messages wanting to know how she was. Well he'd told them how she was, just to have them chastise him. He knew he shouldn't have let Helen believe those things, but he didn't need a pair of children trying to be his moral compass. Still, he knew he needed to tell her the truth. At least they all agreed that she didn't need to know about John or the grizzly details of how Ashley had died.

"Helen, is it ok for me to come in?" Nikola called, knocking lightly on the door to her bedroom.

"Enter," came her soft reply. 

Even with her permission he opened the door cautiously, decades of having a gun pointed at him every time he tried to enter her room didn't fall away over night. The end of a hand gun wasn't what awaited him inside this time though. Instead he found a very flustered looking Helen. 

"What's the matter, Helen?"

"I was just looking through my closet, trying to find something suitable to wear, and the things in there are rather shocking! Do I actually wear those...things?" She asked indignantly. 

Nikola couldn't help the small chuckled that escaped his lips, earning him a fierce glare from Helen. Modern fashions were indeed different than what she was used to. It was probably quite the culture shock. He'd had over a century to watch the trends change and sometimes it still shocked him the things people thought acceptable to wear. He could only imagine how she must be feeling. Before he could say anything though Helen had disappeared into her closet. 

"I managed to find a corset, but it is hardly practical," she said, bringing out the contraption in question. "And these were with it, though I cannot imagine why."

In her hand was a black leather corset. It was designed with cups for each breasts, which he just knew would push her already ample bust to new and spectacular proportions. It was adorned with buckles and clasps, to give it a more stylish appearance. In short, it was completely impractical. But practicality wasn't what that corset had been made for. 

"Where did you find that?" Nikola asked as calmly as he could manage.

"In the back of my closet, next to a big locked chest. This odd scrap of silk was with it, as well as this whip. Though I can't imagine why." 

Helen held up her other hand, a pair of crotchless panties dangling off her index finger. The images her little discovery were evoking sent blood rushing to certain nether regions of his anatomy. He'd had fantasies, but to have confirmation that she liked to play on the kinkier side in bed sent tingles down his spine. 

"I'm afraid you've stumbled upon some of your toys."

"My toys?" Helen asked confused. 

"Sex toys, Helen."

"O-oh," she stammered, blushing bright red. "We use these things when we are...intimate?"

That's when it hit him, in Helen's time she would still be a virgin. His mouth went dry and the smirk he'd been wearing disappeared. He was so accustomed to their banter that it was second nature for him. But the way Helen wasn't meeting his eye told him she was not the sexually confident woman he knew in this time period.

"Helen," Nikola soothed her, walking over to take the items from her hands. "Forget about these."

"But you enjoy stuff such as this?" 

"What I like or don't like isn't important right now." 

"I am your wife, if not in actual title but sentiment, which would mean we are intimate on a somewhat regular basis-"

"Helen, stop!" Nikola burst out, startling them both. "We aren't married."

"Yes, you said as much last night," she replied, brow furrowing adorably in confusion.

"No, I mean, we aren't together at all," he tried to explain. "Intimately."

"But you said-"

"You assumed," he corrected.

"You let me!" Helen snapped back.

"I gave you alot of information to process last night, I didn't want to over complicate things for you."

"The truth is hardly a complication."

"Not with you, my dear. Your life is complicated at best. I don't think its wise to dump all the facts on you at once."

"The girl, Ashley, she is mine? That much was true?"

"Yes, that much was true."

"Where is she? The truth this time, Nikola!"

"She died a few years ago," he said sadly.

"No," Helen gasped, tears welling up in her wide eyes.

"Helen, I am so sorry."

He pulled her into his arms, tucking her head under his chin. Without her customary heels, she fit perfectly against him. 

"You must think me a fool, crying over a child I never even knew," Helen sniffed. 

"Hardly," Nikola assured. 

"Will you tell me about her? How did she die?"

"I didn't know her very well, unfortunately. It was during a time when we were not in contact. I only got to meet her at the very end, when she was already sick."

"And her father, was he present in our lives?"

"No, you kept her away from him."

"Whatever for?"

"You had your reasons. I think that's a story for a another time though."

"I would rather you just tell me now," she pushed, stepping away from him slightly so that she could look at him imploringly. 

"Later, Helen," Nikola held firm. 

Helen pouted, her bottom lip sticking out enticingly. 

"How about a compromise?" He offered.

"Go on," she replied, perking up a little.

"I promise to help you find something suitable to wear if you promise to stop asking questions about Ashley's father."

Helen took a minute to think about it. He could tell when she gave it up though.

"Oh fine!" She surrendered. "But only because I cannot make heads or tails of these modern clothes. This is not over though, I will find out whatever you are trying to hide from me."


	6. Chapter 6

"Nikola, that was spectacular!" Helen exclaimed. 

They had just gotten through touring the facility. He hadn't gotten to fully explore the massive complex to the extend he wanted, but he knew it well enough to show her around. He'd enjoyed watching the look of absolute wonder on her face with each new discovery.

"The technology alone is beyond anything I could have imagined. All the Abnormals who have found refuge here is astonishing. My father would be so pleased."

"You've done an amazing job carrying on his legacy, Helen."

"I cannot believe that I have accomplished all of this in just over a century."

"Well that's not exactly true."

"What do you mean?"

"You've had more than just a century to build this place. Thanks to that sniveling rat, Adam Worth, you got a one way ticket back in time. You spent the next 113 years avoiding everyone you knew and building this complex in secret."

"Time travel?" Helen asked surprised. "Adam Worth? From school?"

"One and the same," Nikola confirmed.

"How did he survive into present day? Did we bring him into the experiment like he asked?"

"No, we didn't allow that cockroach into our group. Thank God! But he did go on to be quite a thorn in our sides."

"It is strange to talk about things that have already happened, yet I have no memory of."

"It'll come back to you."

"We cannot be sure of that. I could never get my memories back."

"Then we would just have to make new ones," he tried to assure her.

"I wish the others were here."

"I miss them too," he confessed.

"What happened to them? Were they all happy? Did we stay close?"

"Nigel was the first of us to go. He settled down eventually, had a wife and a daughter. We actually worked with his granddaughter a few years ago. Interesting little thing, she had Nigel's proficiency for petty theft if I recall correctly."

"Nigel became a thief?" Helen asked, shocked.

"Indeed," Nikola laughed. "He was quite the bank robber."

"That is terrible," Helen tried to chastise, not able to fully keep from laughing.

"On the flip side, James became an extraordinary detective."

"Yes, you told me last night."

"Right, well he was the next of us to pass, though it was many years past the norm. The two of you concocted a machine that kept him alive and in his prime. It was a little cumbersome at times, but he managed. He loved watching the world change, though he remained stubbornly old fashioned himself. He died four years ago, around the same time as Ashley. It was doubly hard on you."

"Did he know Ashley?"

"Very well. He was a doting uncle from my understanding. He would have raised her as his own if you'd let him."

"So he was not her father?"

"No, though sometimes I think he wished he was. He was completely in love with you."

"James?"

"The two of you were together for a very long time, decades."

"I never would have guessed."

"You've surprised me several times over the years. You're capable of much more than you realize right now."

"What about John? You said he had passed as well?"

"Yes, just last year."

"And?"

"And what?"

"You went into much greater detail with James and Nigel. Are you not going to tell me more about John?"

"We had a falling out with John not long after the experiment. He went his separate way and we went our's. We didn't stay in touch."

He knew there was anger in his voice, but he couldn't help it. John had always been his least favorite of the group. After what he became, Nikola had no affection left for the man. 

"It seems unlikely that John would do something that would cause the rest of us to turn our backs on him."

"He changed after The Blood," Nikola said simply.

"From what you have told me, it sounds as though we all changed."

"John was for the worst."

"Surely whatever he did could not be so terrible as to-"

"It was!" Nikola cut her off. 

A wounded look crossed her face. 

"I'm sorry," Nikola sighed. "John just isn't something we discuss."

"If you say so."

An uncomfortable silence descended on them. As far as Helen knew John was still the consonant gentleman just starting to pursue her romantically. 

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What have you done all these years? Are you happy with how your life turned out?"

"I became a famous inventor," he declared proudly.

"Really? You are not just over exaggerating to impress me, are you?" Helen teased.

"No no, I swear. I'm in history books and everything. People everywhere know the name Nikola Tesla."

"I am proud of you. I knew you would go on to do great things, Nikola," Helen said kindly. 

"Of course everyone thinks I'm long dead. An immortal vampire is a little hard to explain to people."

Helen giggled. He had missed the sound, she so rarely let her guard down long enough to let a giggle slip out nowadays. 

"What?" Helen asked when he continued to stare at her.

"Nothing," Nikola said hastily. "You attended my funeral. You said it was very nice, if a little small. I always found it sweet that you went to the funeral when you were the one who helped me fake my death to begin with."

"You are my best friend, of course I would attend your funeral. Even if it were fake."

"A sweet sentiment. Unfortunately I was unable to return the favor."

"What do you mean?"

"They held a funeral for you on the surface a few weeks ago, right after you blew up the Old City Sanctuary. I was unable to attend due to the fact that I was sitting by your sick bed."

"Always so dramatic," Helen rolled her eyes at him. 

"Here we are!" Nikola announced happily, stopping in front a set of giant double doors.

"Where exactly is here?"

"I saved the best for last."

"Which would be? I do not see how it could get any better than what you have already shown me."

"Just wait," Nikola promised.

"Oh get on with it, Nikola."

"Impatient," Nikola huffed, but threw open the doors regardless. 

Helen stepped around him and he could hear her gasp at what lay on the other side.

"The library," Nikola said reverently. 

The voluminous room seemed to go on forever. She had amassed an impressive collect in her first timeline, but her jaunt back in time had apparently allowed her to fill out her collection. It was one of the most extensive libraries he'd ever been in and that was saying something considering he'd spent many years in various libraries. 

"Oh Nikola," Helen breathed, completely mystified. "It is wonderful!"

"I know," he agreed. "You out did yourself." 

"How did I ever collect this many books?" 

"Your father's library was already pretty extensive. Add to that two centuries to collect your own pieces, one of which you knew in advance what books would be most valuable later on," Nikola shrugged. "I would've expected nothing less of you, Helen."

"How could anyone read this many books? Even someone with our extended lives." 

"Not all of them are for reading. Some of them are just collectors pieces, first edition signed copies of the most famous books ever written. There are quite a few that are research related. Your father's journals are here somewhere too. But I brought you hear for a specific purpose."

"Which was?"

"Come on," he told her, taking her hand and tugging her along behind him. 

He led her all the way to the back. There was a small alcove tucked away from the rest of the library. A comfy looking sofa sat in the corner, a reading lamp beside it. 

"Sit down," Nikola instructed. 

Helen did as he told her, perching primly on the couch waiting for him to proceed with whatever he had planned. Nikola went straight to the bottom most shelf, which was filled with an assortment of books of various sizes and ages. He picked up the oldest of the bunch and moved to sit next to her. Carefully he opened the old cover. 

"Picture albums," Helen said at the first glance of the aged photo. 

"I thought it might help you remember."

"This is perfect."

He offered her the album and she took it from him gratefully. 

"I remember this one," she said, pointing to the black and white image of she and her father.

"There aren't very many from the early days, when pictures weren't as common and easy to produce. But there are more as the years go on. There's even a whole album dedicated to Ashley."

"Thank you, Nikola," she said sincerely, reaching for his hand and giving it a light squeeze. 

"I'll give you some privacy," he offered, getting up to leave.

"No," Helen said, not letting go of his hand. 

He looked down at her questioningly. 

"Stay with me?" She asked softly.

"Of course," he replied, sitting back down beside her. 

He noticed happily that she still hadn't released his hand.


	7. Chapter 7

She wanted a chance to get to know them. According to Nikola, they were her closest friends and colleagues. She'd apparently raised the boy, Henry. Though she supposed he wouldn't appreciate being called a boy. He was about to be a father himself. Did that qualify her as a grandmother? That was a rather astounding thought, considering she wasn't even ready to be a mother let alone a grandmother. 

But she had been a mother, she just couldn't remember it. Helen considered that to be the greatest lose in her memories. She would never get to hug her daughter or hear her laugh. She could only rely on the picture albums she had spent hours combing through. Nikola tried to stay positive, but they both knew there was a very real possibility that she would never regain her memories.

Which was why she wanted to get to know the people that were still here. Henry, Erika, Kate, Will, and Nikola; these were the people she still had left. Apparently she knew a whole host of people, but there were only a handful she was truly close with. She'd made Nikola show her picture after picture of her team, telling her as many stories about them as he could. But after a week of only Nikola as company, Helen was more than ready to face her friends on her own. 

"Doc?"

"Henry," Helen said warmly, smiling brightly at the man standing in the door way of her sitting room. 

"Can I come in?" He asked sheepishly.

"Of course," she insisted. "Please."

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better. I still have not been able to regain my memories, but I am trying to be optimistic."

"Yeah, good. You'll remember, Doc. No worries." 

"In the mean time, I was hoping you might fill in some of the blanks for me?"

Henry took a seat in one of the chairs opposite her, looking decidedly nervous. 

"What did you want to know?"

"Well, according to Nikola I raised you as a son."

"Yeah, that's right." 

"I was just curious, was I a good mother?" Helen asked shyly.

"What? God yes! Ashley and I couldn't have asked for better," Henry blurted.

"I am relieved to hear that," she sighed.

"Course we weren't the most traditional of families, but we had everything we needed and we knew we were loved."

"I wish I could remember," Helen admitted. 

"I can tell you a few stories, there are plenty to choose from. Neither Ashley nor I were the easiest children to raise."

"I am sure you were less trouble than you think."

"Oh no, we were loads of trouble. Especially Ashley!"

"Can you tell me about her?"

"Yeah, sure. What did you want to know."

"Anything. What was she like? What was she passionate about? Did we have a good relationship?"

"You and Ashley were close. The two of you were practically inseparable half the time. Ashley was alot like you; smart, confident, stubborn, a force to be reckoned with for sure. She was more of a fighter than you, she enjoyed it where you only saw it as a last resort. You prefer words to weapons. She was more wreckless too, jumping head first into a situation without always thinking about the consequences, though Uncle James said you were like that back at Oxford."

Helen smiled. It was lovely finally hearing about her daughter. As helpful as Nikola had been, he hadn't known Ashley and therefore could not tell her much about the girl. Perhaps Henry would even know who her father had been. 

"She sounds a great deal like me," Helen chuckled. "I wonder how much of her father she had in her?"

She could tell the question made him uncomfortable. He shifted uneasily in his seat, trying to think of the right answer.

"I didn't really know her dad, he wasn't ever around much."

"But he was around some?"

"Not really," Henry said, starting to turn red under her watchful eye. 

She felt bad for making him so uncomfortable, but she was desperate to know who the father of her child had been. She had so many questions and a frustrating lack of answers.

"Ashley was more like you anyway. The two of you used to butt heads all the time. I remember one summer, when we were teenagers, we were staying with Uncle James for a few weeks. Ashley conned me into taking over feeding duties for her just so she could sneak a boy into the Sanctuary and make out with him in a coat closet. You were livid! I think you took her off the mission list for a good month for that one. Uncle James got a kick out of the whole thing, said he'd caught you in that same closet more times than he could count."

He had been trying to distract her, but by the end of the story he was grinning, all anxiety forgotten. Helen couldn't help the smile tugging at her own lips. She did remember James catching her and Nikola in a coat closet last Christmas. It would seem it became a pattern of her's. 

"Tell me more?" Helen ask.

"Jeez, I don't know where to start."

"Did we do much stuff together, as a family?"

"Yeah, when I first came to live with you Ashley was real little, probably only 3 or 4. I was so scared, I didn't talk for a month. You never pushed me though, you waited for me to feel comfortable. But you made a point of including me. It was a standing rule that if you were home, you read to Ashley every night. When I got here you would bring me along with you. We'd all curl up on one of the sofas in the library and you'd read until we fell asleep. After we were out, you and the big guy would carry us off to bed and tuck us in. You always alternated between us, at least until I got too big for you to carry, which wasn't very long. But sometimes I'd just pretend to be asleep. You'd set me down so gently, make sure I was tucked in properly, and then you'd kiss me on the forehead. I think you knew I was faking though, but you never said anything."

Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. 

"When we got too old for story time you changed it to weekly movie nights. When we were in high school we didn't want to sit at home with mom anymore but you made us at least once a week. You said it was important that we stick together because we were all each other had. You told us one day we'd miss movie night and wish we could go back and have more. We didn't believe you, too worried about seeming cool or hanging out with friends, but you were right. I miss those times more than I thought I would."

Damn it if the boy wasn't making her cry. She wiped hastily at the few tears that had dripped down her cheeks. 

"Oh man, I'm sorry Doc. I didn't mean to upset you," Henry said, concerned.

"You did not," she assured. "I am simply happy, it sounds like everything I would have wanted in being a mother." 

"There were happy times too and stuff that'll make you laugh until your sides hurt."

"Give me an example?"

"In junior high I had a giant crush on Natalie Ross. I finally got up the courage to ask her to the spring dance, but I didn't know the first thing about dancing. You offered to teach me. You spent every night for the next week dancing with me in your office. Ashley teased me mercilessly the whole time. The night of the dance, I was so nervous that I tripped over my own feet the whole night and made a complete fool of myself. I was so embarrassed! But Natalie thought it was adorable and ended up kissing me to make me feel better. It was my first kiss. You waited up for me to hear how it went. You offered to continue teaching me, but I decided dancing wasn't going to be my thing."

Henry paused, trying to think of something else to tell her. 

"We used to play a bunch of practical jokes on each other too. Ashley was the worst. One time she put something in my soup that turned my entire mouth blue for two whole days. I tried to get her back, but it kind of went side ways. I tripped the biohazard alarm so she'd have to go to the decontamination shower, which I'd rigged. Unfortunately, you were the one in that section at the time instead of Ashley. So when you came out of the showers, your skin was stained orange for a week."

They were both laughing by now.

"Orange is not a good color on me," Helen chuckled.

"That's what you said then too."

"Thank you, Henry. I appreciate you taking the time to speak with me," she said sincerely.

"Anytime, Doc," he replied happily. "I hope it helped."

"Perhaps we could reinstate movie nights? I am not familiar with these-movies? But I would enjoy spending more time with you."

"Yeah, that'd be great," Henry grinned. "And movies are kinda like going to the theatre, only you get to stay home and watch the show from your own couch."

"It sounds fascinating."

"I think you'll like it."

"Shall we say Friday night at eight?"

"That works for me," Henry shrugged, jumping to his feet. "I'll see ya then, Doc!"

"I look forward to it."

Henry shot her one more big smile before slipping out of her sitting room. He wasn't gone more than a minute before Kate walk in.

"My turn?" The Indian woman asked, not waiting for her answer before striding confidently across the room and plopping down on the sofa right next to Helen.


End file.
